Mission 94 - To Exalt Jesus Christ
Introduction:
Exaltation: Def’n - to praise, to glorify
Synonyms - Honor, Magnify, Elevate, Acclaim, Extol, Praise
1. Exalting God is what we’re here to do.
- it is the chief end of man - Westminster catechism: “to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”
- it is a particular function of being a Christian
- priesthood of believers - 1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
- it is the principal activity of heaven - Rev. 7:9-12
“Worship is the supreme and only indispensable activity of the church. It alone will endure into heaven when all other activities of the church will have passed away.”
2. Exalting God must be characterized by two things:
John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
a. Integrity - “in truth”
- worship has to be biblical - we worship the Christ revealed to us in the Bible
- we don’t worship a god of our own making
- worship has to be intentional
- planning - devoting time, resources to making it happen
- paying attention to the details
- presenting it with excellence
b. Intensity - “in spirit”
- worship that is energized by the Holy Spirit
- Rom. 8:15-16 - For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
- worship that comes from our spirit - from the heart
- it is participatory, not passive
- stress is on involvement, not performance
- it is creative in method
- if worship takes on a sameness, it becomes stale; it loses its intensity
- fears of evangelicals: emotionalism; “charismaphobia”
3. Exalting God unleashes spiritual power.
a. - exalting leads to cleansing from sin
Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
b. - exalting leads to right living
Eph. 5:18ff - Spirit’s filling —> worship, exalting —> thanksgiving —> right living
b. - exalting leads to victory over the enemy
2 Chron. 20 - Jehoshaphat: “we do not know what to do but our eyes are upon you.”
c. - exalting leads to the growth of the church
Acts 2:47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added…
Conclusion:
Five or ten years from now, if someone were to describe in one phrase First Baptist Church, I would want them to say “FBC is a worshiping church.”
Not an evangelistic church, not a teaching church, not a church with great programs for youth or young adults, not a counseling church, or a missionary church. A worshiping church.
Because if we are truly a worshiping church, we will be all those other things as well. That is because exaltation is the base on which all other ministry is built.
If we are to move successfully into the future, our focus must be firmly fixed on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Getting to know Him, and extolling His greatness must be our highest priority; item #1 on our agenda.
Our mission as a church is to exalt Jesus Christ. If we don’t do that, it doesn’t matter what else we do.